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CHAMBER OF COMMERCE REPORT
Bill alert: Legislation
proposed that may affect your business
By Rep. Dan Kristiansen
Unemployment has just
reached a 25-year high in Washington. More than 330,000 people are now
out of work. The state budget deficit has nearly topped $9 billion.
Meantime, as the Legislature tries to wrap up business before its
scheduled adjournment of April 26, there are a number of bills in the
works that could have some long-reaching affects on business. Here are a
few that you should be aware of:
Senate Bill 5104 and
Senate Joint Resolution 8205 - Both of these bills would
implement a state income tax in Washington.
Senate Bill 5735 - Known as the "climate change" or "cap and
trade" bill. The idea is to make businesses and their consumers pay to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This amounts to a huge government
program financed by citizens and employers who are already stretched
extremely thin trying to meet daily expenses.
Senate Bill 5446 and
House Bill 1528 - Known as the "Worker Privacy Act," these
measures would let workers refuse to attend meetings at which employers
discuss topics such as politics, religion, charitable giving or
unionizing.
House Bill 1393 - This bill would add new taxes,
burdensome regulations and extensive warranty requirements upon
residential home builders. The warranty provisions of the bill would
allow first and subsequent homeowners to hold contractors liable for the
life of the home, regardless of improper maintenance. Although consumers
pay thousands of dollars to municipalities for inspections to ensure
homes are built to code, the bill does not hold municipalities liable if
they do not do their job correctly. Instead it goes after the builder.
If passed, this measure is expected to increase the cost of housing and
could put many small builders out of business.
House Bill 1747 - Would create costly new "green" mandates for
public and private buildings.
State operating budget - It seems clear not only is a tax
package coming, but the majority party won't have the courage to defend
and vote on their own proposal. They will send it on to you, the voter,
so they're off the hook politically for tax increases. I believe we must
balance this budget without tax increases. Taxpayers and
employers did not create this crisis and you should not be expected to
bail out state government. We need the intestinal fortitude to say no to
special interests, prioritize spending on the most basic and necessary
functions of government, and learn to live within our means.
As we debate these issues
and draft a new state budget, I encourage you to be involved. Here are
some important phone numbers where you can voice your opinion:
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Governor - (360)
902-4111
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Senate majority leader
- (360) 786-7604
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House speaker - (360)
786-7920
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Toll-free legislative
hotline - 1-800-562-6000
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My office - (360)
786-7967
For more information on
these issues, please visit my Web site at:
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/Kristiansen.
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EDITOR'S NOTE:
State Rep. Dan Kristiansen, R-Snohomish,
represents the 39th Legislative District, and also serves as chairman of
the Washington House Republican Caucus. He can be contacted at (360)
786-7967 or from his Web site at:
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/Kristiansen.
For more information, contact:
John
Sattgast, Senior Information Officer: (360) 786-7257
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